Reeh 14:4 · unit 2

TT #197 · Parashas Reeh · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 14:4

The Complete Passuk

זֹ֥את הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאכֵ֑לוּ שׁ֕וֹר שֵׂ֥ה כְשָׂבִ֖ים וְשֵׂ֥ה עִזִּֽים׃

These are the animals that you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat.

Chabad.org — 14:4

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Chullin.

Sefaria — Chullin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכֵלוּ – תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם שֶׁבְּהֵמוֹת טְמֵאוֹת מְרֻבּוֹת עַל הַטְּהוֹרוֹת, לְפִיכָךְ מָנָה הַכָּתוּב בַּטְּהוֹרוֹת; וְגָלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעוֹפוֹת טְהוֹרִים מְרֻבִּים עַל הַטְּמֵאִים, לְפִיכָךְ מָנָה הַכָּתוּב בַּטְּמֵאִין, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁלְּעוֹלָם יְשַׁנֶּה אָדָם לְתַלְמִידוֹ דֶּרֶךְ קְצָרָה.

English: “That you may eat” — It was taught: Rabbi says: It is revealed and known before Him Who spoke and the world came into being that unclean animals are more numerous than clean ones; therefore the verse enumerated the clean ones. And it is revealed and known before Him that clean birds are more numerous than unclean ones; therefore the verse enumerated the unclean ones — to teach you that a person should always teach his student the shorter way.

On the daf / in context: The Torah chooses the shorter list in each case so that the student is taught in the most concise manner.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Chullin) — pedagogical preference for the shorter enumeration.

What Is Learned

The Torah enumerates the smaller group (clean animals or unclean birds) so that the student is taught the shorter route.